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Mystery Publishers

Felony & MayhemThis publisher specializes in classic mysteries, broadly defined, including newer mysteries that adhere to classic standards. They have just overhauled their website to make it much more informative and user-friendly.

Merion PressThe Merion Press is an independent publisher of out-of-print works that were originally published over 75 years ago, but are enduring even today.

Mystery GuildThis book club mostly publishes current thrillers, spy and horror stories, etc., but has a few "lost classics" by the likes of Ellery Queen and John Dickson Carr. As such, it may be worth your attention. Be warned though that it's a "negative option" club - if you join, you have to reply to each offer every few weeks to keep them from being sent to you.

Crippen & LandruCrippen & Landru publish mystery short story collections. Of particular interest is what they call "Lost Classics," a series of anthologies of mostly uncollected stories by authors who might be enjoyed by a new generation of readers.

Poisoned Pen PressBased in Scottsdale, Arizona, the Poisoned Pen Press publishes a fairly wide variety of mysteries. Some are reprints; many are new, by newer authors. Their website has a great deal of information about their books and authors.

Academy Chicago PublishersA number of interesting authors, most long out of print, plus some other odds and ends, including some horror stories by Conan Doyle.

Langtail PressA fairly new Print On Demand publisher specializing mostly in classic mysteries. The managing director, James Prichard is the great-grandson of Agatha Christie, and his lineage shows. Authors include John Dickson Carr, Ellery Queen, Anthony Berkeley, and Freeman Wills Crofts, among others. Many are also published as ebooks for the Amazon Kindle.

Mysterious PressThe brainchild of editor/anthologist/author/bookstore-owner Otto Penzler, the Mysterious Press has recently returned to life as an electronic book publisher. It is already republishing the work of a lot of classic authors, with more books on the way.

Ostara Publishing"Ostara Publishing re-issues titles that have unjustifiably become unavailable either through the ravages of time or the forces of publishing economics. We specialise in Crime and Thriller fiction titles and our range goes from the1920s through to the 21st century. We publish thematically and currently have six series available. All our titles are published in a 'trade paperback' format and printed to order."

Locked Room InternationalA small press, specializing in very good English-language translations of (so far) mostly-French authors of locked room and impossible crime stories. They publish in Print-On-Demand and electronic editions.

Oleander PressThis small eclectic British publisher has begun publishing a series of classic British mystery novels, primarily from the Golden Age. The series is grouped into a section of their catalogue named "London Bound," as the books are set in London.

Oconee Spirit PressA small, independent publisher committed to publishing "lively fiction, and provocative non-fiction." Most of their list covers early works by established authors writing traditional mysteries, such as Carolyn Hart and Margaret Maron.

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That means that if you order anything from Amazon through a link from my site or the search box on my page, I get a small commission. As a result, I'd consider it a favor if you would consider making your purchases through my links. As always, though, if you have a local mystery book store, I encourage you to use them as your first choice. For anything else... Thank you.

May 14, 2012

"Murder in the Maze"

This is the stuff of which nightmares are made. You are lost inside a maze - one of those garden affairs where the passageways are narrow lanes between very tall and very dense hedges. The idea is to find your way to the center of the maze, and then find your way out again. So here you are, exploring the maze - a maze with two centers - when you hear a cry. Someone has been murdered in the maze, and the killer is trying to get out. And you hear footsteps...

As I say, it's the stuff of nightmares. And it is one of several memorable scenes inside that frightening double maze in "Murder in the Maze," a marvelous 1927 mystery by J. J. Connington. Long out of print, it is once again available in a handsome paperback edition with a fine introduction by mystery scholar Curtis Evans. It is the subject of this week's audio review on the Classic Mysteries podcast, and you can listen to the full review by clicking here.

"Murder in the Maze" begins at the country estate called Whistlefield, the home of Roger Shandon. Roger and his twin brother Neville, both needing a place where they can study their business affairs privately, go into the great double maze - a maze with two centers - that is Whistlefield's pride.

But both men are murdered in the maze, the victims of poisoned darts. Also in the maze at the time of the murder are two young visitors to the estate. They are the ones, exploring the maze separately, who hear the murders being committed - and who are terrified hearing the footsteps of the murderer trying to escape. What if that murderer comes across these potential witnesses, who are helplessly lost in the maze...

It's a nightmarish scene, remarkably well-realized. And there are other, equally well thought-out and created scenes within that maze which will linger in the memory long after you finish reading this book. The detective who solves the problems of the maze is Sir Clinton Driffield, the Chief Constable of the county where the crimes take place. Driffield and his friend Squire Wendover are Connington's series detectives, and the investigation is remarkably well done.

I must admit I was completely unfamiliar with Connington until I read about him on Curtis Evans's fine blog, "The Passing Tramp." In his introduction to this new edition, Evans notes that "Murder in the Maze" drew praise from the great English poet T. S. Eliot, who called it "a really first-rate detective story." I suspect that modern readers will agree with Eliot's assessment; Evans calls it "one of the very finest country house mysteries produced by a British detective novelist in the 1920s." It is highly recommended.

Joan, mazes can indeed be terrifying. At least at Hampton Court, there are plenty of people around and you can get help finding your way through the passageways - not like the situation at Whistlefield!

Ron, I have had a fascination with such mazes for many years. Have you ever read M. R. James's short story, "Mr. Humphreys and his Inheritance"? If that doesn't put you off mazes, nothing will. I think Connington did a fine job in the several scenes set in and around the Whistlefields maze.

Bev, I think it's the best of the Connongtons that I have read (which remains a woefully short list). As for our TBR stacks, I know what you mean - I'm constantly afraid my stack will collapse and bury me under it... ;-)